I don't expect big changes to the 2018 schedule. My impression is that Portland would be the most likely new venue. I'd assume it'd go into between Mid-Ohio and Pocono as that's one of the long breaks in the current schedule.

PIR has already a date for the 2018 VICS race in some documents. It'd be two weeks earlier than this week, like between the current Long Beach and Barber weeks. Barber would probably be a week later, especially if Long Beach retained its week from this year and was in the previous weekend to PIR.

However, March would badly need another race, especially if St. Pete keeps its current week. But the problem is that there are not so many venues able to host IndyCar in March. After St. Pete and Sebring, a Homestead race might be too much for Florida. Fontana isn't possible in March because of the NASCAR weekend. And I doubt IndyCar wants to leave the USA anymore after St. Pete. Extending the offseason and having St. Pete two weeks later might not be such a bad move since it'd eliminate the huge gap we've had here.

Overseas races would be a great way to shorten the offseason and kick off the season in February or even January. But I'm not sure about where IndyCar could race outside the USA. Surfers Paradise seems like the Australian place interested in hosting IndyCar but two street races in different months in one city doesn't sound very realistic. Brazil has failed to become a permanent fixture in the schedule. And Mexico City already has F1, WEC, and FE; IndyCar might be already too much.

I don't expect big changes to the 2018 schedule. My impression is that Portland would be the most likely new venue. I'd assume it'd go into between Mid-Ohio and Pocono as that's one of the long breaks in the current schedule.

PIR has already a date for the 2018 VICS race in some documents. It'd be two weeks earlier than this week, like between the current Long Beach and Barber weeks. Barber would probably be a week later, especially if Long Beach retained its week from this year and was in the previous weekend to PIR.

However, March would badly need another race, especially if St. Pete keeps its current week. But the problem is that there are not so many venues able to host IndyCar in March. After St. Pete and Sebring, a Homestead race might be too much for Florida. Fontana isn't possible in March because of the NASCAR weekend. And I doubt IndyCar wants to leave the USA anymore after St. Pete. Extending the offseason and having St. Pete two weeks later might not be such a bad move since it'd eliminate the huge gap we've had here.

Overseas races would be a great way to shorten the offseason and kick off the season in February or even January. But I'm not sure about where IndyCar could race outside the USA. Surfers Paradise seems like the Australian place interested in hosting IndyCar but two street races in different months in one city doesn't sound very realistic. Brazil has failed to become a permanent fixture in the schedule. And Mexico City already has F1, WEC, and FE; IndyCar might be already too much.

I don't think extending the off season is a good idea, it's long enough as it is. However, I think Mexico could be the answer. The F1 GP is in the second week of October, so if they were to hold the second round of the IndyCar series there, that's a good 5 months between both F1 and IndyCar races.

We should see an announcement about Mexico City here soon as to whether or not IndyCar will be there in 2018. At the last update, Mark Miles was talking about it being in October, which would be positive sign about the schedule format overall.

The F1 Mexican GP is held at the end of October, so it would make sense to have the IndyCar race at the beginning of the season. The end of March would be good. There was a gap of around four weeks, between this season's opener at St. Pete and the second round at Long Beach.

I just put down what I saw in the RACER piece from Mark Miles' statement.

I am starting to wonder though. IndyCar could well have Gutierrez in a seat for a race in Mexico City. However, there's another piece.

I'd say it's looking increasingly unlikely that Sergio Perez is at Force India next season, and I can't see him settling for a ride with Sauber or whoever. So, what are the chances he isn't even in F1 next year? He brings sponsorship, and if it's significant in F1 terms, it would be plenty for a full-time seat in IndyCar. Also, as with a number of venues, I know rumors have been floating, even in such a short time, about concerns over the sanctioning fee for the F1 Mexican GP.

So, if IndyCar can line up two Mexican drivers with F1 levels of name recognition, is it totally impossible that they could TAKE the Mexico event over?

(I honestly wonder if Perez is somehow tied to the terms of the Mexican GP contract. That would make things VERY interesting indeed.)

The Mexican F1 Grand Prix is an amazing event. Switching it to an IndyCar race wouldn't be the same. Sponsors and fans know the difference between a Mercedes vs Ferrari duel and a Penske vs Ganassi duel.

An IndyCar race would be an addition, not a replacement to F1. However, it could be a replacement for FIA WEC.

Speaking of which, having IMSA as support series would be a nice idea, although that's a 2019 plan. Plus IndyCar would prefer an oval race, I think.

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"Show me a driver who didn’t make a handful of errors this year, and I’ll show you someone who wasn’t trying hard enough." - David Malsher

I'm quite certain that the oval at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is nowhere near up to snuff for IndyCar. For starters, there's basically no space on the inside of the corners, which will be very problematic for cars both entering and exiting the pits with race traffic still at oval speeds.

I don't think that Chase Carey would take as much issue with it as Bernie, but having both open-wheel races that close together just seems odd.

I wonder if the series wants two off weekends going into Mexico City, and thus consider the early-season break just a bit too short. (I don't know, but it could be possible; it's probably more involved crossing the border to and from Mexico than it is with Canada.)

I'm quite certain that the oval at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is nowhere near up to snuff for IndyCar. For starters, there's basically no space on the inside of the corners, which will be very problematic for cars both entering and exiting the pits with race traffic still at oval speeds.

I don't think that Chase Carey would take as much issue with it as Bernie, but having both open-wheel races that close together just seems odd.

I wonder if the series wants two off weekends going into Mexico City, and thus consider the early-season break just a bit too short. (I don't know, but it could be possible; it's probably more involved crossing the border to and from Mexico than it is with Canada.)

Surely they would race on the full circuit and not on the oval, though that would be interesting to see?

If the race were at the beginning of the season, it won't be near or clash with the F1 GP. Hopefully Chase Carey isn't like Bernie...

After a mild bump near the start of the Belgian GP, on Lap 30, Perez squeezed Ocon into the Endurance Pit wall on the run down to Eau Rouge. This resulted in a broken front wing for Ocon, and a right-rear puncture for Perez, as they entered Eau Rouge/Raidillon. Perez then flaunted the accepted convention of parking up a car in the state his was at the soonest, best location to do so. Instead, he drove it on three tires the remaining almost four miles back to the pits.

This is at least the third incident between the two this season, going back to Baku, and Montreal before that. Force India is in something of an "emergency crackdown mode" with their drivers after this latest mess.